Considering China’s unease with a large foreign military presence on its borders, one would expect the U.S. drawdown of military forces in Afghanistan to be welcomed in Beijing and result in greater U.S.-China cooperation on Afghanistan. However, the U.S. and China have different goals and timetables regarding this conflict, which pose challenges to their bilateral relationship.
The most outstanding aspect of ‘America’s Allies and War’ is the systematic and even-handed manner in which it demolishes popular notions of alliance politics, such as the depiction of European NATO allies as free-riding pacifists, whilst making an important theoretical contribution to the burden-sharing literature and International Relations scholarship in general.
Whether The US and china can overcome a tendency towards a zero sum disposition and embrace change in a progressive way in the 21st century remains to be seen.
The Taliban remains a very deeply rooted part of Afghani social and political life. Consequently, they cannot be ignored. The Taliban should be won over with a comprehensive set of policies deploying not just negotiations and reconciliatory talks, but also the creation of a political framework that will engage the Taliban in a positive role that is most conducive to Afghanistan’s progress.
Iran has outmaneuvered the United States in Iraq at every turn. It has done this through its tremendous foresight as to the direction Iraq was heading at different moments, as well as its keen understanding of its American adversary. These past successes have, in turn, given Iran the upper-hand vis-à-vis the United States as Washington and Tehran battle to define the future of Iraq.
The phrase ‘Technetronic Era’ many not have cemented its place in posterity, but we appear to be living in elements of it nonetheless.
The apparent US retrenchment from space in recent years shows some courage and wisdom. It is now time to focus on the future in a more sustainable way, and win back the command of the edge of space. That is the path chosen by President Obama, though, one must not forget the legacy of the Space Shuttle and the era it represented.
What NATO has demonstrated in the past 20 years is its utility as facilitator of action by its members, deployed on the basis of what are seen as the compelling strategic and political judgements of the time. Despite this, US Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates, has recently warned of a dismal future for the transatlantic alliance. Yet we should not assume that the Alliance is condemned to possible irrelevance.
On April 25, the Gulf Cooperation Council proposed a settlement to resolve the political crisis in Yemen. The GCC initiative will not solve the Yemen crisis, only complicate and prolong it. The dogged American persistence in supporting it adds dangerous legitimacy to the agreement and the failing Saleh regime.
The history of US foreign policy is a violent and bloody one, although this is not necessarily the dominant perception of most Americans. It is in fact, the most warring nation in modern history. It is in this historical context that we have to try and understand its current military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, the Horn of Africa and Libya.
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